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Model: | M3ti |
Category: | Speakers |
Suggested Retail Price: | $275 |
Description: | Bookshelf speakers |
Manufacturer URL: | Axiom Audio |
Review by drew8mc (A) on March 22, 2004 at 13:51:27 IP Address: 216.135.216.58 | Add Your Review for the M3ti |
Oh no, not another review of these speakers. Read on.I have often wondered how there were so many inmates, and yet there doesn't seem to be too many reviews based on the number of members here. Then I realized that I owned quite a bit of equipment and have never penned a review myself. It's not until you sit down to actually write one of these that it becomes apparent how difficult this task really is. So what follows is my first attempt at a review. First, however, "allow myself to introduce........myself" (that's Austin Powers for all of those who need help).
I arrived at this hobby through my father. I remember back in the eighties when I was a kid (yes I'm only 25) when my father bought what had to be the first CD player in my town, certainly the first I'd ever seen. He bought an entire Yamaha system (parts of which I'm still using) that at the time I thought was the coolest thing I'd seen. Then in the 90's he put together part of a pretty good hi fi consisting of a Micromega CD player, AI Modulus 3A, Mesa Baron, and some decent Energy speakers (he never could afford the Dunlavy SC-IV's). I went with him to the hi fi stores a few times and listened to various systems. But at the time I didn't fully understand it, didn't know what to listen for, not to mention I couldn't afford any of it as a teenager. During college my father had let me use his old Yamaha system, which I paired with some KLH (Frat-house approved) speakers with big 15" woofers that could rattle the windows at will. After college he let me keep the system and I bought a pair of Acoustic Research AR-9's (not the vintage version). While they aren't necessarily audiophile approved, they have been great fun, and I'm sure I could have done a lot worse. It wasn't until I bought them that I started to understand what this was all about and that's when "the bug" really bit me.
Because I had never seen a review of my AR-9's and I was now reading many reviews on-line, I started to wonder what they sounded like compared to all of these other speakers that get glowing reviews. So I decided to put together a bedroom system and to buy the mother of all glowing review loudspeakers, the Axiom M3ti. "But Drew" I hear you ask "You bought a speaker on reviews alone?" Yes I did the audiophile no-no. It was a cheap way to find out, firstly, what all of the damn buzz was about, and secondly, how the old Yamaha and AR-9 gear stood up. I also bought a Marantz CD-63 and an Onix A-60 integrated for this bedroom system.
So now you know about all of the pertinent background info for this review. And I hope that you understand that my comments are based on these limited experiences in hi-fi. I haven't been doing this for 35 years or tried dozens of different loudspeakers. I'm still at the beginning of my journey.
I've owned the M3ti's for about a year and a half. If you don't know these speakers you are either new to this hobby or have been living under a rock for the last 5 years. I suggest you look to any of the professional reviews for a full description of these little guys.
A quick note about stands. I bought some super cheap stands from Audio Advisor that didn't weigh much more than 5 lbs. Later, through the mapleshade catalogue, I got the idea to take the posts off these stands and sit the speakers on the base and tilted back, like some of the Mapleshade maple stands. I'll be damned if the bass didn't go deeper and was better defined, as well as images solidifying. I then got some 1-1/2" thick granite slabs and set them on that which was much better.
If I dissect this speaker into it's component parts in the typical audiophile fashion, i.e. bass, mid, treble, imaging, soundstaging, timbre, and the rest the M3's perform very well. Individually, they do most of these things (less bass extension) better than my AR's. Images are stable and well defined. In a Dorian recording of Mozart's Requiem, the 4 singers are set up in a row, going from bass to soprano from right to left. You can easily determine their position even when they are singing together. They throw a pretty big soundstage. In fact, their off axis response must be pretty good because they sound pretty similar everywhere in the room. They do voices very well. The midrange, in general, is rendered with an accuracy that my AR's lack. The treble is nicely extended, and cymbals have a great shimmer and excellent decay. What's available of the bass is quick, taut, and tuneful. I miss the low end punch on some music. I listen to everything from chamber music and small choral to hip hop and techno. It's on the more beat heavy music (rock, hip hop, techno) that the bottom end shows it's lack of extension. There's just enough weight that Jazz sounded livable. Brian Bromberg's bass in the opening song of his "Wood" album has ample weight and that great aptly named "woody" sound. To get this ample bass response required a lot of volume, unfortunately, which I'm not that thrilled about, it being a bedroom system and all. I think that gear will steer one toward certain music that plays to it's strengths. I found myself playing small chamber works, small jazz groups, solo piano, folk. The M3's seemed to get congested with more complex music. Some have characterized them as being a bit bright, but I don't think that's true, in my experience. They have a forward presentation, that when combined with a lively room, could turn bright. They have a very neutral tonal balance which is perhaps not always such a good thing. Read on.
Many reviews might stop here, and they would call this another winner, but this isn't the whole story. Even though all of the individual traits seem to do everything right, something's wrong. I find them boring. My mind wanders when I listen. I often pick up magazines instead of listening. It doesn't draw me in. Perhaps this is a system synergy problem. I'm not sure. The Onix A-60 I use in my bedroom hasn't impressed me all that much. But even when I hook them up downstairs to the warmer system in the living room, there is no life. I'm not sure if tubes would help or not. Their neutral tonal balance means that the budget SS equipment they are most likely to be paired with may not be the best solution. It may be the perfect speaker for those running vintage tube amps like Fischers or Scotts. Never tried it but maybe that would be a good balance. Ultimately, I chalk this up to a good learning experience. It's often hard to find out what you DO like until you find out what you don't. They are so cheap, however, that it almost doesn't make sense to get rid of them. Perhaps I'll put them in my kitchen where I can groove out while cooking or entertaining.
Others may have different conclusions, and I would welcome responses to this where people can share what has worked for them.
Product Weakness: | Yawn! |
Product Strengths: | Pick any individual trait. |
Associated Equipment for this Review: | |
Amplifier: | Onix A-60 integrated, Yamaha M60 Power amp |
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | Yamaha C-80, Musical Fidelity CD Pre24 |
Sources (CDP/Turntable): | Musical Fidelity CD Pre 24, Well Tempered Record Player, Integra DVD player feeding Channel Island Audio VDA-1 DAC |
Speakers: | Acoustic Research AR-9 (new version) |
Cables/Interconnects: | Cheap Acoustic Reseach, Straightwire Maestro |
Music Used (Genre/Selections): | Everthing from Classical to Hip Hop |
Room Size (LxWxH): | 12 x 12 x 8 |
Time Period/Length of Audition: | 1.5 years |
Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
Follow Ups:
As a company Axiom is a very good to deal with. They have great customer service.Their speakers us very low buget crossover parts: sand cast resistors, Iron core inductors, inexpensive internal wiring, & Bennic electrolytic caps. The cabinets are nicely finished but no real wood veneers. Drivers are all metal types.
I think with Axiom you pretty much get what you pay - a half decent speaker at a cheap price.
the midrange dynamics are lacking, and congestion sets in with complex music. If you look at published graphs you'll see there is a broad depression in the upper mids. A good speaker for the $, but not quite up to the hype. I tried the M22ti, which was quite a lot better in that regard, but still not good enough to take it out of the "good midfi" class. If you want a livelier sound in that price range, try Ascend Acoustics.
While we are on it, what might you suggest for a small, good, coherent, inexpensive two way floor speaker for a small tube amp/digital amp?
I recommmed theNew Phase Tech Velocity v4
Energy C1 or C2
Mission M50
Omega Ts1 (never heard but check out the message boards on their sight www..omegaloudspeakers.com/ people are having success running these with the digital Griffin Powerwave).
nt
I reason that whenever a speaker needs to be described as "very neutral", it's guaranteed to not actually be neutral. It's like saying that a certain shirt is an "extra medium" size, which of course means anything but medium.
Your review is right on. These speakers sound nice but that is it. They are really two dimensional and boring.I have had these speakers for a couple of years and are no Match for the Phase Tech Teatro 4.5. The Phase Tech's have a truely three dimensional sound soundstage with depth and detail far exceeding the Axiom's.
The great Axiom's are a product of Marketing and Biased reviewing by the likes of Soudstage and Goodsound that people have bought into. If you shop around you can do better.
The problem with the proffessional reviews is that they always look for those individual traits, which the M3 does very well. They don't see the big picture. It may be the fact that they don't have enough time with a product. I don't know.
One more for agreement. I owned a pair of these and found them to be exactly what they are, a $275 pair of loudspeakers. Off the top of my head, I could think of a dozen under $300 speakers I'd much rather own. I thought the bass was ok. Other than that, well, lets just say I don't miss them.
I agree with the above sentiments, --wondering what the fuss was about when I eventually heard the M3Ti. I want to point out that the M40Ti is quite a sonic departure, considering it is the same speaker, grown down to the floor. The mids are quite well fleshed out, does great bass, but still has too much energy in the higher registers, easily compresses when given some steam, with a somewhat flat and uninspiring overall character. I would say that given all this, the M40Ti is still an outstanding value, and they happen to sound great with inexpensive tube amps, I am using a Cayin TA30 in the back room. I have managed to hold on to a pair for two years, so I must find something to them. I wish there were a stand-out value in a nice, small, coherent two way floorstander. Anyone reading this with some thoughts on the matter, feel free to chime in...
nt
A little more spendy, but I think I've finally found my "long time" floorstander in the Vienna Acoustic Bach. Retails at $1500. Tweeter was closing them out and I was able to buy a new pair for $800. Drop dead beautiful woodwork, small size, Scanspeak silk dome tweeter, SEAS 7" woofer. I have them hooked up to a Jolida 502B, Naim 3.5/Flatcap in a mid-size room. By far not the most expensive system I've had. It might, however, be the best sounding. The Vienna Acoustic loudspeakers seem to LOVE tubes and they are pretty easy to drive.
Bachs. I keep looking at them, but get the impression they may be too "sweet" with tube gear. Wondering if you have heard them with a good SS or digital amp? I am also thinking about the Reynaud MkII, with a small cheap sub to give a hint of the bottom. A little mini review of the Bachs with your 502, which I believe is EL34 based if I am not mistaken...
The 502B uses 6550's or KT88's. I'm using JJ KT88's. I had the same concern about sweetness and tubes with the Bachs. No need to worry, the Bach's and the 502B sound like they were made for each other. Bass is deep, midrange just sparkles, treble goes out forever. Great depth and width of soundstage. I was using the Bach's with a Conrad-Johnson MF2500 solid state amp and PV14L tubed preamp. It sounded good but something wasn't quite right. I sold the C-J's, bought the Jolida and haven't looked back. The VA's adore tube amps. I believe a good source is critical to getting the best out of both the VA's and the Jolida. I'm using a Naim 3.5 with Flatcap as a source. If your anywhere near Baltimore, your welcome to stop by for a listen.
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